Chamber seeks meeting over Shandon clock repairs

Cork Chamber has sought an urgent meeting with the assistant city manager and the lord mayor in a bid to break the deadlock over the Shandon clock repairs.

Chamber chief Conor Healy said the chamber fully recognises the cultural and historic significant of St Anne’s Church in Shandon.

But he defended his organisation’s decision, highlighted in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, not to call on city businesses to support a repair fundraising drive mou-nted by Cork’s RedFM.

“We are not happy to call on the business community to bail out Cork City Council in relation to this project,” he told Neil Prendeville.

“We’ve already paid for this and other services, in the form of rates... It is the responsibility of the council to ensure the city’s infrastructure and services work, and one of those services is ensuring Shandon clock is repaired.”

He said it is simply unacceptable to allow the council abdicate its responsibility on the issue.

His comments came as Shandon parishioner, barrister Tim Bracken, insisted the city is responsible for maintaining the clock. He insisted it was never gifted to the Church of Ireland.

FF’s Cllr Ken O’Flynn, who contributed €500 to the RedFM fund, wrote yesterday to all 31 city councillors asking them to make a donation.

The Irish Examiner first highlighted the broken clock last November.

The Church of Ireland community insists responsibility for the maintenance rests with the city council.

Tenders for repairs have been received and a preferred bidder identified. It is understood the basic repairs will cost about €20,000.